UNITED NATIONS A General Assembly Distr. GENERAL A/HRC/WG.6/7/ITA/1 16 November 2009 Original: ENGLISH HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review Seventh session Geneva, 8-19 February 2010 NATIONAL REPORT SUBMITTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 15 (A) OF THE ANNEX TO HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL RESOLUTION 5/1* Italy * The present document was not edited before being sent to the United Nations translation services. GE.09- A/HRC/WG.6/7/ITA/1 Page 2 CONTENTS Paragraphs Page I. METHODOLOGY AND CONSULTATION PROCESS ....................... 1 - 2 5 II. NORMATIVE AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK ...................... 3 - 45 5 A. The Italian Constitution and fundamental rights............................. 3 - 5 5 B. Fundamental rights: obligations and remedies................................ 6 5 C. Legislative framework, popular sovereignty and concurrent powers ............................................................................................. 7 6 D. Head of State, Parliament, executive power ................................... 8 - 11 6 E. Local institutional framework......................................................... 12 6 F. Judicial power, independence of the judiciary, High Council for the Judiciary .................................................................................... 13 - 14 7 G. The Constitutional Court: competences and functions ................... 15 - 17 7 H. Italy as EC/EU founding member ................................................... 18 7 I. Institutional framework: bodies competent for human rights’ protection ........................................................................................ 19 - 36 8 1. Parliamentary human rights Committees............................... 19 - 22 8 2. Other bodies competent for human rights’ protection........... 23 - 31 8 3. Bodies against discrimination in all its forms........................ 32 9 4. Independent human rights institutions................................... 33 - 36 9 J. Fulfilment of international obligations; individual complaints mechanisms ..................................................................................... 37 - 41 10 K. Reporting and ‘standing invitation’ policy ..................................... 42 - 45 11 III. PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ITALY 46 - 111 11 A. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................ 46 - 48 11 B. Civil and political rights in a democratic system............................ 49 - 52 11 1. Policy on asylum and immigration; trafficking; integration policy .................................................................................... 53 - 67 12 A/HRC/WG.6/7/ITA/1 Page 3 CONTENTS (continued) Paragraphs Page a) Evolution of the Italian society ....................................... 53 - 55 12 b) Asylum policy; refugee integration within the Italian society............................................................................... 56 - 61 13 c) Legislative framework: recent amendments ................... 62 - 64 14 d) Cooperation with Countries of origin and transit; rescue operations at sea............................................................. 65 - 67 14 2. Trafficking in human beings................................................. 68 - 71 14 3. Integration policies................................................................ 72 - 76 15 a) Dialogue with religious communities ............................. 75 - 76 15 4. Protection from torture.......................................................... 77 - 78 16 5. Racism and xenophobia........................................................ 79 - 83 16 6. Minorities; Roma and Sinti Communities ............................ 84 - 90 17 7. Gender equality; violence against women ............................ 91 - 95 18 8. Human rights and fight against terrorism ............................. 96 - 101 19 9. Judicial system and penitentiary administration ................... 102 - 106 19 10. Economic, social and cultural rights..................................... 107 - 111 20 IV. ACHIEVEMENTS AND BEST PRACTICES ....................................... 112 - 121 21 A. Dialogue and cooperation with civil society .................................. 112 - 113 21 B. Human rights education and training ............................................. 114 - 117 21 C. Accountability of public officials................................................... 118 22 D. International development cooperation .......................................... 119 - 121 22 V. NATIONAL PRIORITIES ....................................................................... 122 - 138 23 A. Policy against discrimination ......................................................... 122 - 124 23 B. Policy for migrants’ integration in Italian society.......................... 125 23 A/HRC/WG.6/7/ITA/1 Page 4 CONTENTS (continued) Paragraphs Page C. Policy for persons with disabilities........................................ 126 - 127 23 D. Promotion of international initiatives .................................... 128 - 138 24 A/HRC/WG.6/7/ITA/1 Page 5 I. METHODOLOGY AND CONSULTATION PROCESS 1. The preparation of the Italian State Report within Universal Periodic Review has been coordinated by the Inter-ministerial Committee on Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by involving all the competent administrations that provided their respective contributions, (particularly Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Defence, Ministry for Equal Opportunities, Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Policies, Ministry of Education). 2. Moreover the draft scheme of the Report was presented and discussed on July, 21st 2009 at a consultative session with civil society as organized by the above mentioned Committee. Such event resulted in a fruitful interactive dialogue, involving NGOs and institutional actors. Afterwards a second meeting was organised on October, 14th 2009 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to present the report under reference. II. NORMATIVE AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK A. The Italian Constitution and fundamental rights 3. The institutional structures of the Italian State are set up according to the Republican Constitution, which went into effect on January, 1st 1948. The Constitution is rigid, i.e. its provisions cannot be changed by ordinary law. To amend the Constitution a reinforced procedure is required, with special majorities that is different from the approval process for ordinary laws. 4. The 1948 Italian Constitution includes all basic and fundamental rights. It consists of 139 Articles and 18 transitory provisions. It is made up of two Parts. The first Part (Arts. 1-55) is mainly devoted to basic rights and freedoms, while the second Part concerns institutional and organizational aspects. The text has been amended several times to include, e.g., women participation in public offices, the prohibition to extradite a foreigner for political offences, devolution of (additional) responsibilities to Regions, a more effective application of the principle of the due process of law and an effective recognition of the right to a fair trial. 5. The death penalty is prohibited in the Italian legal system, both in time of peace and war. The abolition is a culmination of a process initiated in the 18th century when the Grand Duchy of Tuscany was the first sovereign State in Europe to legally eliminate the capital punishment. In 1889 the death penalty was abolished in the Kingdom of Italy but it was reintroduced in 1926 during the Fascist regime. The last execution took place in 1947. The Constitution of 1948 confirmed the abolition. B. Fundamental rights: obligations and remedies 6. The Constitution determines the political framework for action and organization of the State. The fundamental elements or structural principles of the Constitution governing the organization of the State are the following: democracy, as laid down in Art. 1; the so-called personalistic principle, as laid down in Art. 2, which guarantees the full and effective protection of human rights; the pluralist principle, within the framework of democracy (Arts. 2 and 5); the importance of labour as a central value of the Italian community (Arts. 1 and 4); the principle of social solidarity (Art. 2); the principle A/HRC/WG.6/7/ITA/1 Page 6 of non discrimination and equality before the law, as laid down in Art. 3; the principles of national unity and territorial integrity (Art. 5); and, above all, the principle of the state based on the rule of law. C. Legislative framework, popular sovereignty and concurrent powers 7. The Italian Constitution is based on the principle of popular sovereignty (Art. 1). In accordance with legal traditions of constitutional democracies, the Constitution defines and develops an evolving form of the principle of the division of powers, based on the separation of the executive, legislative and judicial branches, and recognizing various levels of territorial (regional) and local (provincial and municipal) autonomy. The State and the Regions have legislative power. Regions can exercise it either exclusively or concurrently with the State, except for matters which the Constitution expressly reserves to the State. D. Head of State, Parliament, executive power 8. The Italian President of the Republic is the Head of State. He/she represents the unity of the Nation and is entrusted to guarantee and oversee the compliance with and the respect for the Constitution